Something Is Happening

Note: I'm no longer apologizing for the "churchy" stuff, but I will provide a glossary of terms at the bottom to promote clarity of communication between me and any of my readers who might not know what these words mean.  :) 

Something is happening. I don't know if it's just for me or there's something happening on a much larger scale, but I can feel it. The spirit of God is in motion. 

If you've been with me since June of 2015 or at anytime in my life before that, you know I've been on a journey. I didn't come easily to a place of faith, trust and obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I struggled with it. I doubted God and Jesus. I doubted myself and my ability to recognize truth in reality. 

I asked a lot of questions along the way and I still have a lot of question. If you are interested in that process, it's pretty much all in this blog. I tried to represent my journey as honestly and accurately as possible - for my own benefit and for the reader's benefit. 

One part I didn't write much about is when I stopped going to church for a bit. My grief journey was completely integrated with my faith journey and I needed a minute to parse it out. 

I had begun to worship my church instead of going to church to worship God. I had developed a dependence on the emotional high of the Sunday service and it was interfering with my relationship with God.

I was having a hard time communicating with God because I still didn't know him all that well yet and I couldn't discern his voice from the noise of my own thought processes, the theatrics of the worship service and the conflicting opinions of my family and friends. 

My time alone with God started in 2019 prior to the COVID19 pandemic and extended to nearly the end of 2021. During this time I prioritized prayer, bible study and stillness. I spent LOTS of time talking to God and trying to be open to his answers. I also spent a lot of time in silence, just letting my thoughts untangle themselves. 

I started feeling a call to return to my church home in late summer 2021. Toward the end of October God opened up space in my life and the Holy Spirit has been stirring ever since.  

Grief brought me here, but this new story isn't about grief. I can't wait to find out what it IS about. 

OK. You're all caught up, now. 

Glossary of Churchy Terms 

The Spirit of God (AKA the Holy Spirit) = similar in effect to intuition or a gut feeling. 

Promptings of the Holy Spirit = a gut feeling/intuition that nudges one to act or not act. Promptings are crystal clear. You know what it is that needs to be done or what you need to stop doing. 

Communicating with God = Praying to god. Reading the bible, listening for the holy spirit to provide answers. Singing praise songs/ hymns, being open to hearing the voice of God speaking to you. 

The Voice of God = This is not typically meant literally. Its every way that God communicates with you - intuition, emotion, words from other humans, bible study, devotions, etc. 

Bible Study = this IS literal. Study the bible. Not just the words in the bible, but everything about the bible. Who were the authors, what is the intent behind the literary style of a particular book? What is the historical and personal context of the words in front of you. 

Stirring of the Holy Spirit = this is similar to the promptings but without the prompt. You know something is coming but you haven't figured it out yet.  Sometimes the point is to figure it out. Sometimes the point is to be patient until the purpose is revealed.